Tag: travel

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Part 2

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Tuesday turned out to be the most active day Cathie and I had in the Smokies. Unbeknownst to me, a virus was manifesting itself in my system. What I had thought was just allergies due to the extremely high pollen in the area was something else entirely, although I had not realized it yet.

Back to Tuesday. We decided to to do a longer hike in the morning, up to Laurel Falls. The trail is paved, but it is uphill all the way to the top, 1.3 miles one way. A good way to get the blood flowing! When you arrive at the top, you cross a footbridge and can spend time at the top of the falls. That is not all there is to see, though. If you’re adventurous, you can hike down the rocky trails on either side, and see the lower part of the falls. Cathie and I hung out at the top for a bit, getting lots of long exposures of the top of the falls. I also set up my iPhone on a Platypod, and shot both timelapses and slow motion videos of the falls. Product plug: get a Platypod! They are the BEST! They provide a stable platform either for a phone or camera, where tripods are not either allowed or practical. With some bungie cords, you can tie it to a tree too. I highly recommend them, I have both the Platypod Max and Platypod Pro, and I do NOT travel without them.

Enough product plugging! We took some portraits of the other tourists at the top, in front of the falls, and it occurred to me we should have charged a fee! I made a few connections, hopefully some are reading this post! Cathie and I were able to get our portraits taken by a kind tourist, the first time really we ended up in front of the camera together. I’d really rather be taking photos than having my photo taken.

Being adventurous souls, Cathie and I went down the side of the hill, and got some photos of the lower part of the falls. And, in keeping with the “falls” theme, I slipped on a wet rock at the bottom, and went down on my left hip and arm. I still have quite an impressive bruise on my hip. That, and a bruised ego were the only injuries, luckily.

From there, we hiked back down the trail, and intended to visit the Roaring Fork area next. As it turns out, we went the wrong way, and ended up on the Newfound Gap Road, which takes you up to the ridgeline. It turned out to be a fortuitous happenstance (good band name!). As we got to the top, we decided to go up to the top of Clingman’s Dome, and the observation tower. That half mile hike to the observation tower turned out to be a FAR more strenuous hike than the 1.3 mile hike to Laurel Falls. Still, it was absolutely worth it. We got to look down on the tops of the clouds which covered the valley from which we had just come. Words cannot describe it. The featured photo of this blog is an infrared photo I took from the observation tower.

The drive down, after we finished at Clingman’s Dome, featured a lot of “WHEEE”s from Cathie, and some groaning from me. I have not gotten car sick since I was a kid. I came close on this drive.

The day finished in Greenbriar, along another fast moving river. I shot some more long exposures there, and some video. We then got some burgers at the Burger Barn (and I got a beer). A great finish to a spectacular day. Up next, the plague rears its ugly head…

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Part One

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My friend Cathie and I had been talking about taking a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains since she returned from her trip there this past October. Since I usually travel the last week of April somewhere, we decided this would be a good time for our trip. I drove out Sunday morning, April 23, and arrived late afternoon. We then set about creating a general outline of how we would tackle the park. The first full day was Monday, and the one spot I wanted to see was Sparks Lane in Cades Cove. Since Cades Cove is set in a valley, it frequently is foggy in the morning. As infrared photography is my favorite photographic medium, I knew it would provide some excellent infrared opportunities. But, earlier is better, the fog tends to burn off quickly. So, we couldn’t get there early enough for sunrise, but we would get there not long after sunrise. I say “would” because Mother Nature threw a curve ball at us- due to the heavy rains the area had experienced both Saturday and Sunday, the road into Cades Cove was closed because of a downed tree. The featured image is the road, just past the closed gate. So, we explored the area near the gate. At one point, a park ranger drove past Cathie, and he said we could take an alternate route to get to Cades Cove after all. It was a long detour, but we did get there after all, and the fog was still in the valley. The photo below is one of the infrared photos I took there.

We explored more of the Cades Cove area- the loop itself can take up a few hours, winding through the valley, stopping at several old structures, and giving great views of the valley. We stopped at the John Oliver cabin, one of 80 historic buildings in the park. The cabin is set deep in the woods, and is very well preserved.

We continued on to the old Cable Grist Mill and the surrounding buildings, including the barn and corn cribs. The woods surrounding the mill provided us an unexpected opportunity to photograph some deer up close and personal.

After leaving the Cades Cove area, later in the afternoon, we went to the Tremont area, along the Middle Prong Little River. Due to the rains, the rivers and streams were running fiercely, and there was an abundance of opportunities to photograph the running waters, and waterfalls on the roadside.

This was the start of my first exploration of the Smokies. There is more to come, we had three more days of fun!

Civil War Battlefields, Part 1- Vicksburg, Mississippi

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I have decided to start a series of blogs about my other passion, the American Civil War. As an amateur student of history, and having an ancestor who fought in the Civil War, I have had a deep interest in the War for over 30 years. In most of my travels over the past 20 years or so, I have tried to visit as many of the battlefields that are left as possible. There are still some I have not seen, and I hope to see them over the next few years.

The battlefields are part of the US National Park System. While the parks themselves are well preserved, some do not encompass all of the acreage that was fought over. It was not practical for the government to try to turn an established town or city into a National Park, for obvious reasons. But, not long after the war ended, the effort began to preserve as much of the battlefields as possible.

The first installment of this series is about the battle of Vicksburg, which really wasn’t so much a battle as a siege. It is really easy to get to, either by car or plane. I prefer to drive, as I can carry more camera gear with me, and I can stop in Memphis and spend time there to and from Vicksburg.

For an historical perspective, Ulysses Grant had been trying since late 1862 to capture the city. Vicksburg was crucial, as it is situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Union naval vessels and northern merchant ships could not navigate up and down the Mississippi while the Confederates held the town. Several attempts to take the town directly had failed, so Grant, during the early spring of 1863, marched his troops through the swamps on the west side of the river, crossed back over the river, and circled aback to surround the town from the east. Once he reached the town, it took another 47 days, but finally, on July 4, 1863, the Confederates surrendered the town to Grant.

Many of the battlefields are dominated by statues, monuments and memorials. Vicksburg has its share, but you can still appreciate the terrain, and understand why it was such a difficult task to take the town. It is a beautiful place, but as with all of the battlefields, it’s very somber at the same time. When you know what happened there, how many soldiers on both sides were lost, as well as the civilian casualties, it gives you pause. The National Cemetery has a plaque, as they all do at each of the battlefields, telling how many are buried in the cemetery, and how many are known versus unknown. At Vicksburg, there are 18,244 interments, of which, 12,954 are unknown.

The photographs accompanying this are just a sample of some of my favorites that I have taken there during my many visits. Some are infrared, some regular photos. Most of the battlefield on the tour takes you around both defensive positions that were dug into the hillsides, or built on them, by the Confederates. Others are the Union positions. At varying points during the siege, the two lines were less than 200 yards from each other. The townspeople dug themselves into hillsides too, to protect themselves from constant Union artillery bombardment. The Visitor’s Center there gives a very accurate depiction of what the civilian experience was during the siege.

Springfield and Chicago Explorations, Part 2

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Day two of our adventures centered on downtown Chicago. I wanted to show Cathie as many of the most popular sites, so we started at Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) in Millennium Park. The great thing about Cloud Gate is that no matter what angle you look at, you get great reflections of the skyline, and of course, you will end up in the photo too. Also, you have to go underneath, the curves of the stainless steel underneath give some great “Rohrshach” reflections. I did some time lapses of the crowds, but having photographed it many times already, I didn’t take many photos.

I had thought about also heading over to either the Crown Fountain, or across the serpentine bridge to Maggie Daley Park, but the day was already getting very hot, and I had some interiors in mind too if we needed to cool off. So, we went across Michigan Ave. to the Cultural Center (the original main branch of the Chicago Public Library, and has been featured in many films, including “The Untouchables” with Kevin Costner and Robert DeNiro). The main attraction there is Preston Bradley Hall, which is topped by the world’s largest Tiffany glass dome.

From there, we went to the James Thompson Center. It was designed by Helmut Jahn, and has a great atrium (very post-modern). We had lunch, I did a time-lapse there too. We then walked along the River Walk from Dearborn all the way to Lake Shore Drive (stopping for refreshments along the way). We then had dinner at the Billy Goat Tavern (world famous, courtesy of the original Saturday Night Live cast- Cheezborger! Cheezborger!)

After dinner, we went to the John Hancock Building. The observation deck gives a 360 degree view of the city: 360 Chicago. They allow tripods on one night, Monday night, so we took advantage of this. We got there around 6:30, caught the sunset from the west side of the building, then got some night skyline photos. All in all, a great day, and there was more fun to come over the next two days! More to come!

Springfield and Chicago Explorations, Part 1

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It’s not often I get to be a tourist on my home turf, but that’s exactly what I had the opportunity to do earlier this month, when my friend Cathie Crow of CLCrow Photography visited the area. I had been out to South Carolina a few times since April 2014, and Cathie got to show me around. Now it was my turn!

The adventures began in Springfield, on Sunday, July 10. Cathie is a huge fan of Abraham Lincoln’s, and as she has said on many occasions, Springfield is her Disneyland. I drove down early Sunday morning and picked up Cathie at her hotel, and from there, we had breakfast at a relatively famous place in Springfield- Charlie Parker’s Diner (featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives). From there, we drove into downtown Springfield and began our tour of the Lincoln sites- Abraham Lincoln’s home, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the old State Capitol Building, and the train station that now houses several props, costumes, and the Presidential Office set from Steven Spielberg’s movie “Lincoln.”  All are worth the visit, you get a genuine look at what life and politics were like in the pre- and Civil War eras. Those of you who know me well know that the Civil War era is the period of American history I am particularly drawn to.

The final stop, somber given its nature, was Abraham Lincoln’s tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery (and yes, Cathie and I rubbed Abe’s nose, another “must”). Down the hill, behind the tomb, is the temporary vault where Lincoln’s remains were kept until the tomb was completed. Also in Oak Ridge Cemetery, we visited the Illinois World War II Memorial, the Illinois Korean War Memorial, and the Illinois Vietnam War Memorial.

The visit finished with a stop at the Dublin Pub, where I tried in vain to convince Cathie to try another Springfield institution, the horseshoe. I had one, it’s a tradition! From there, the three hour drive up to the Chicago area, where the adventures would continue!

Washington, DC- April 2016

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For my first recreational trip this year, I went to Washington DC to hopefully photograph the cherry blossoms at peak bloom. Of course, when it comes to Mother Nature, she always has her own ideas, and my trip was about 10 days too late. Still, I stuck to my plan, and met up with a friend who drove up from South Carolina. We spent Friday, April 1 through Sunday April 3 in the area. We packed a lot into those three days, a theme I would continue with my Arizona trip later in April.

The first day, we started with the intention of touring Ford’s Theater. However, we were confronted by a huge crowd of school tours (it was still Spring Break time). So, instead, we checked out St. Patrick’s Cathedral right down the street, a great gothic exterior, and a gorgeous interior. From there, we went to the National Mall, and spent some time at both the World War 2 Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. We had to get to the other end of the Mall so that we could take a tour of the US Capitol Building, which was great, except for the rotunda being covered by scaffolding and tarp. We finished up at Union Station, which is right by the Capitol Building.

Saturday was spent at the Udvar-Hazy Annex to the National Air & Space Museum, which is where the Space Shuttle Discovery is now housed, as well as a lot of other aircraft and spacecraft that can’t fit in the main Air & Space Museum. From there, we drove up to the Baltimore area for dinner with some friends, and then we went back down to the Mall to photograph the Memorials at night. That turned out to be its own adventure, as a vicious storm hit just as we got to the Lincoln Memorial. Luckily, we had shelter inside, and waited out the rain and wind.

Sunday, we drove to the US Marine Corps War Memorial (aka The Iwo Jima Memorial), as I wanted to pay tribute to a friend and Marine who had passed away from cancer on the Friday we arrived. The temperature had dropped into the 30s that day, with winds gusting 20-30 mph, and naturally, I hadn’t packed cold weather gear. We also went to the National Archives that day, after the Marine Corps Memorial, and then we finished the day at the National Zoo. We saw some lions (no tigers, though, they were camera shy), and the pandas, among many others.

Arizona Excursion, Part 2- The Grand Canyon

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A trip to northern Arizona is not complete without a stop to the Grand Canyon. It has been on my “bucket list” for longer than I can remember. The last full day of my trip was set aside for the Grand Canyon. The trip started with a drive from Flagstaff, through the San Francisco Mountains, and then to the east entrance of the Grand Canyon. That drive was amazing all by itself, I stopped on a plateau to photograph the cloud-covered peaks, the elevation was just over 9,000 feet. One of the photos is in the slideshow which accompanies this post.

Before I left for Arizona, I had booked a helicopter tour of the canyon (again, thanks to a tip from a friend of mine). So, I knew I had to be at Grand Canyon airport at a set time. But, I was able to stop and get my first look at the canyon. What can I say about it that hasn’t already been said? I had seen so many photos, so many films, and thought I was prepared for it. I wasn’t. It’s cliche’, but I literally did have to catch my breath when I saw it for the first time. It’s magnificent, I can understand why the Native Americans consider it holy ground. I was able to get some initial photos, and then had to leave to catch the helicopter.

One of the photos in the slideshow is from the helicopter. That is really the best way to see it. I took one of the longer tours offered by Papillon/Grand Canyon Tours. I wanted to take in as much as I could. There just aren’t words for the experience, it was a blast. I cannot recommend booking a tour with them enough!

Once we landed, I returned to the canyon and hiked around the rim some more. I found some great vantage points just off the trail where I could just sit and look at the expanse. I took a lot of infrared photos (the black and white photos are infrared), as well as regular photos. I could have used up several 128 GB memory cards just in the time I was there. After several hours in the afternoon, I sadly had to leave, to get ready for the return home. I packed a lot into the three days I was there. I plan on going back, I need to explore Sedona and the Grand Canyon much more.

Arizona Excursion, Part 1

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My “bucket list” has been growing, not shrinking, over the past several years. This year I have decided to start crossing items off of it. The first places I decided to cross off the list are Sedona and the Grand Canyon, in Arizona. The great thing about choosing these locations is they are both within an hour and a half of each other. On the tip of a friend who used to live in Arizona, I chose Flagstaff as my base. Both locations are within an easy driving distance from Flagstaff. Flagstaff itself is a cool town, and I think next time, I may take a train ride to Flagstaff from Chicago, and spend more time in the town.

I flew into Phoenix, rented a car, and the plan was to stop in Sedona first, on the way to Flagstaff. I had reserved a tour with Pink Jeep Tours (a must for anyone wanting to get out into the canyons, away from the tourist-y part of Sedona). The adventure of the day began before I even got to Sedona- an SUV collided with a truck on I-17, and the highway was shut down. The accident occurred about 6 miles before the Sedona exit, and it took over an hour to go those six miles. I called Pink Jeep Tours, and they moved me to a later tour.

I had seen Sedona from other photos, and I knew it was beautiful. The canyons there are incredible, and that drive in to town was one of the most beautiful drives I have taken. And then, the tour itself was even more amazing. A friend of mine tipped me off to Pink Jeep Tours, and I cannot recommend enough taking one of them if you’re in Sedona. The Broken Arrow Tour is their signature tour, they are the only tour company that can take people on that trail. The trail is named after the movie Broken Arrow (with Jimmy Stewart), which was filmed there, in part. The tour takes you out into canyons around Sedona, and makes two stops. The first stop is where one of the vortices in the area occurs. The canyon walls cause the winds to speed up through them, creating a wind tunnel. Even if the winds are light, once you get there, they are intense. The second stop was at Submarine Rock, which looks like a submarine has surfaced in the base of the valley. The tour I took was a combination of the Broken Arrow Trail, and also up part of the way to the rim above Sedona.

I had kept Monday open, for either the Grand Canyon, or a return to Sedona. Since I fell in love with Sedona, I went back Monday. The weather had changed, clouds had rolled in, the temperatures dropped, and the winds picked up to between 50 and 60 mph gusts. The clouds made for excellent photographic opportunities. In the late afternoon, storms came through, cutting my explorations short. It both rained and snowed. I sought refuge at the Oak Creek Brewery, had a pint or two, and relished in the days’ adventures.

Next up, my first experience at the Grand Canyon on Tuesday…